The Washington critic., 1887-03-10
WASHINGTON, MARCH 10, 1887.
WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY.

The action oil the meeting oil Congro-
gatlonal ministers at Chicago, refer
cncc to which has been already made,
in declining TO send resolutions of con.
dolence TO Mrs. Bsechcr during her
husbands s last illness, is condemned by
the Times and Inter. OccdH of that city
in terms of the most unqualified, yet
just, severity. II can hardly fall to be
condemned by people who call them
selves Christians everywhere. Those
who are made SO crippled In spirit aud
lean of heart by an iron clad sub
sefvieucc to dcnominltnnal theories
that they cannot sympalhiIe with men
and women Of broader aud more lib
eral theology. even ia the hour Of
death, may claim the Christian appelh'
tion, but have not the title 10 1t which
certain Samaritan had
There was nothing In Mr. Bccchcr's
life, as we are lnformed-no fault or
error Of any sort-whlgh these Chicago
ministers were not ready to forgive
with the single exception Of what they
consider his fatal lapse from the ortho-
doX faith. Ovcrlookiug fact concern.
ing which there is certainly no room
for controversy, that Mr.. Dcccher was
the ablest eNpounder Of Congregation
alism the church ever had, and that he
did more to populnrihc its forms of
worship and extend its boundaries
than any man the century has produced,
they proceed to condemn him at the last
and deny him the consultations of his
own religion, simply because in the
progress of spiritual thought the strides
of the pastor of Plymouth had far out
distanced the shackled footsteps of his
contemporaries.
Whether he was right or wrong In
thus diverging from beaten pathways
and striking out for himself In advance
of his generation, was not the question
which the Chicago clergymen were as.
sembled to pass upon. 1t was not an
occasion for dry and unfruitful homi-
lies but for strong and generous heart
throbs-an occasion that called for the
Iluy tls vi thS iiE htCOus anu NuC ~ ulpd-
thies of human brotherhood, orthodox
OF hereto, godly or ungodly. both and
all. And what was the outcome of this
holy congregation
In the light Of the gracious civiliza-
tlon Of the nineteenth century 1t is sim.
ply uuaccouutable, were the facts not
authenticated, that any b51y of intelli-
gent men, especially men educated in
the lessons of the Scriptures and pre-.
sumably imbued with the tenderness OF
the Great Teacher, should deny sim
pie message of affection and comfort
TO q stricken wife, because Of alleged
husband. 1t is spirit that We thought
had gone out with the fires Of the stake
and the blood Of the lnquisilion.
Ii will now be in order for the Con-
grcga,ion0l Church to maintain or re.
pudiate this action. 1t cannot re main
silent and preserve the Conddcnc5 of
Christeudom. 1t will be remembered
that after the trial of Mr. Bcccher
'hiS' Va llIc Ibl -tsl anu illoAI lulluCnlldl
of the Congregational churches in New
York withdrew from the fellowship Of
Plymouth. But this was on moral aud
not on doctrinal grounds. This course
was Ineligible and direct. No such
cause for suppressing the common iu-
stlncts of humanity is assigned in this
case. The reasons assigned are doc.
trinal, not moral.
What Is the Congregational Church
going TO do about 1t?
viii 1t take the ground at this ad,
vanced stage of the world that hereto
shall be denied the benefit of clergy?
The success of the Democracy OF
the Second Congressional district OF
Rhode Island, at the late special elcc,
tion, appears to have inspired the
Democrats of both Congressional dis
tricts with hope of carrying the
whole State at the approaching gen
eral election, and 1t may be stated, Il
the credit of their political sagacity
that they have placed in nomination
for Governor and other State officers
an unusually strong ticket. 1t is mort
than likely that they will not find |
quite so easy thing to elect Mr.. Davi
TO the Governorship as they did TO elec
Mr.. Page to SIX days term in Con
gress, but THE CRIric, which, as
general thing, takes but small interes
in partisan Confess, Is rather incline
to III NIX that the Democrats deserve Il
win this fight-if not for any specia
merit of their own, NJ least for
notable lack Of merit on the part of tn
opposition. The Republican party is
party Of progress. II isin favor of tn
fullest measure of civil aud religion
liberty, yetif we read the Constitution
of Rhode Island Alright, 1t has been les
in favor OF unrestricted suffrage, les
pronounced In lis devotion to politica
equality there than In almost any othe
State Of the Union. lis record in thl
respect is not what II should be, anr
the Republicans Of Rhode Island vii
owe It only to their own stubborn foil
and inconsistency II beaten upon an Il
sue of constitutional justice.
SENATOR SHERMAN and party wer
in Charleston yesterday inspecting th
scenes of the late seismic dlsturbanc
in that city. Rather risky latitude t
be In, Mr.. Senator There's no tellin
what might be the effect of an earth
quake ON Presidential boom.